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9A /y Legislative Bill Action ................................ ............................... The amendments also establish a new pro- cess for evaluating projects that occur within five miles of a site listed in the TICS. Finally, the bill modifies CEQA by characteriz- ing a project as having a significant effect on the environment if it would cause a substantial ad- verse change in a TICS. The League's Housing and Community and Economic Development Policy Committee voted unanimously to oppose SB 18 if it incorporated language that makes changes of this nature. The League Board will take a position on this measure on July 18th. Staff: Dan Carrigg, Status: AsNatRes, Hrg. 7/ 14, Position: Oppose. SB 619 (Duchen , <) Local Land Use Author - ity SB 619 (Ducheny) passed the Assembly Housing Committee with amendments which removed some, but not all of the League's con- cerns. This legislation, sponsored by low- income housing advocates and other groups, contains numerous changes to various laws affecting local land use authority and housing programs. The amendment taken in committee removed the worst aspect of the bill that exposed local govem- ments to annual lawsuits on housing element issues. The League, however, continues to oppose language recently added to the bill which would eliminate conditional use permits for hous- ing projects up to 100 units, and specified "mixed use" projects that meet a number of prescriptive requirements. Although this language is some- what narrow, its practical effect is to reduce opportunities for public participation in the local land use decision - making process. It also affects all communities equally across the state, even those that are building affordable housing. The League is also concerned that approving SB 619 at this time could undermine ongoing negotiations on housing issues at HCD. After several years of battles between local govem- ments and housing advocacy groups, local governments have entered into good faith HCD- convened negotiations. Two League- sponsored measures, AB 980 (Salinas) and AB 1158 (Lowenthal), a: a parked as two-year bills in the Assembly Hous;ng Committee. SB 744 (Dunn) is a two-year bill on the Senate Floor (Ail three of these bills have been described in more detail in previous editions of Priority Focus). In our view, moving SB 619, when it includes provisions such as those limiting local land use authority, clearly violates the spirit of these good faith negotiations, particularly since the League was excluded from discussions where some of the most problematic language was developed. Staff: Dan Carrigg, Status: AsHou &ComDev, Position: Oppose. AB 1633 (Levine) Building Standards, Now Two-Year Bill. AB 1633 was gutted and amended last week to authorize the California Building Standards Commission to adopt, approve, codify and publish building standards for any building where no state agency has the authority to adopt building standards for buildings, should the Com- mission determine that uniform, statewide stan- dards are necessary to protect the public health and safety. This is a significant expansion of state authority and affects many buildings throughout the state. The League, building officials, fire chiefs and other organizations responded quickly with opposi- tion. AB 1633 has become a two-year bill, in the Senate Housing Committee due to that opposition, as well as several critical newspaper editorials raising the potential effects of this bill on plastic pipe, and other building code disputes. Staff: Dan Carrigg, Status: Two-year bill, Position: Oppose. SB 567 (Torlakson) Local Ordinances. Penalties for Violation. This bill increases the existing statutory caps on the maximum penalties that can be imposed on violators of local building and safety codes and ordinances. The penalties outlined in current law have not been modified for approximately twenty years. The bill increases the maximum penalty for a second violation from $200 to $500, and from $500 to $1,000 for a third viola- tion. SB 567 takes a positive step towards provid- ing local governments, particularly those in rapidly growing communities, with the resources they need to ensure that buildings in their jurisdiction are PAGE 14 /PRIORITY FOCUS Visit the League's Official Web Site -- www.cacities.org